A/N: Hello! Okay, this is the next chapter, sorry, I'm in training and once I finish I will be working a lot so updates may be irregular and not as soon as some would like. Hmmm lets see, there is a some slight mention of Hotch/Beth, nothing graphic so don't beat me up. Also, being a profiler I don't think it would take him too long to put a few things together. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own it

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Chapter Three

"Ouch, are you leaving any hair?" Spencer winced with the next tug of thread ripped off pieces of his scalp. Beauty took more than pain, it took hair, pride, and sanity all at once. This was the last time he allowed the neighbors near his hair. He would be bald before the rest of the weave was removed. "Please, I could be called into work at any moment, and I can't exactly explain to my boss that I'm busy getting my weave removed."

"Shush you, you only lost three strands so far and that is awesome for the average male." Shelby nipped the thread at the knot to begin on the next line. "If he calls I can tell him that you are in the bathroom with the shits."

"Cute, and I already used that excuse for as to why I didn't attend the party." He had lied when JJ had called to invite him out for lunch today. After waking up he had rushed to get his hair done so he had claimed to have come down with an upset stomach. She had mothered him by giving instructions on how to alieve an upset tummy without him having to explain what it was doing. It made him feel horrible that he had lied about his evening.

"So you're positive the boss didn't recognize you?"

"Positive, or he wouldn't have made out with me." Spencer mumbled under his breath. It was one thing to know that he hadn't been recognized but he had made out with his unsuspecting supervisor. How could he continue to work under the man when he knew what it was like to be beneath him physically?

"What? I am so proud of you. Did he even realize that you were a guy?" Shelby quickly swatted away the two strands that had gotten caught in the path of the scissors.

"Maybe not at first but he knew before we finished." The poor gown would need to be taken to a dry cleaner. "Unfortunately, I finished without removing the gown. I'll pay for the cleaning bill."

"Who cares about that? What is important is that you finished. What was it like?" Asking about another man was taboo but he was curious.

Spencer didn't want to lie to one of the two people that knew his secret. No one else knew that he was bi-sexual and lately he was leaning more towards craving cock. "It was amazing, but I kind of knew it would be. I made out with Hotch, it couldn't have been anything less than perfect."

"You say that because you like him. Trust me, ninety-nine percent of the time it isn't perfect and never lives up to the fantasy. So how did he take finding out it was you?"

"He didn't find out," Spencer grunted at the pop to the back of his head. "I ran when he was called away. I couldn't let him find out that it was me."

"Why not?"

"Because," because it was Hotch. Spencer didn't want to throw a pity party over what he couldn't have. Things would never happen between them. He'd known the man for almost twelve years and not once had there been any attraction from Hotch's side. The man saw him as a subordinate, not as dating material. "I'm not stupid. He was merely attracted to the unknown and some of it probably had to do with the fact that the ex he is still in love with showed up at the party with a date. I was just a distraction for the evening and that is why it didn't matter if I was a male."

"You have such a sour outlook, I don't think I like you." Shelby placed the hair gently on the thin shoulder, his fingers making short work of the next row.

He didn't like himself at the moment. Spencer felt horrible after what he had done and what could have happened. If he hadn't ran, would he have ended up sleeping with his boss? How could he look at the man without confessing to what he had allowed to happen? He was a damn good profiler and he knew why he Hotch had continued to spend time with him. The man was hurting and had wanted reassurance that he was still desirable, so much that he would accept attention from a stranger. The fact that it had continued after his cock had been discovered proved just how depressed Hotch was. "I just want to pretend this didn't happen and go back to pretending that he is just my boss."

"Honey, you weren't able to do that before he touched you."

"You aren't helping," and how much longer? A weight was lifted seeing the pile of hair resting on the table and no longer attached to his head. That just left the braided rolls of hair to be undone before he gave into the impulse to shave it off.

"If you want someone to lie and tell you nothing will change then talk to Austin, he's the idiot in the relationship."

Saying that things wouldn't change, wouldn't be a lie. Spencer tried to calm his nerves, reassuring himself that nothing would be different between them. Hotch had no way of knowing that it was him and didn't really have a reason to worry about who it had been. He'd go to work and pretend he hadn't attended the party. That was what he'd do, after he answered his phone. The cell vibrated in his pocket forcing the stylist to stop, "Can I call you back, JJ?"

"Sorry, but we need you to come in. Hotch told me to call you and Rossi in," the blonde woman didn't sound right. He could tell that she wanted to tell him something but he had declined the offer for lunch.

"Alright, I was just about to jump in the shower so it'll be an hour before I can get in." Hopefully it wouldn't take much longer to get his hair undone. A shower would be needed to get the frightening bends out that made it obvious his hair had spent some time plaited.

"That is good, the tension should have lessened by then." Her voice paused before continuing. "There is something you need to know before you come in. I meant to tell you over lunch so you'll know what is going on. There was a fight at the party, it was really bad."

"What happened?" What had caused the bubbly hacker to try clawing Morgan's face off?

"We don't know all the details but it seems that something happened between Penelope and Morgan. We don't want to pry for the intimate details but from the accusations, he went to see her one night after he had a fight with the wife. The two got drunk and went too far. The problem is Penelope got more than a one night stand out of it and Morgan doesn't want his wife to know about it."

"You mean she's pregnant?" That was unexpected. Not really since the two were really close and there had always been something between them, but Morgan had seemed committed to his family. Having a small baby could be rough on a new couple, but was it enough to make the man cheat?

"Yes, and he kindly asked her to have an abortion at some point. Which made her drink and then call his wife. It was horrible, Spence. He showed up because he could tell that she was drunk and he tried talking to her. She blew up about all he cared about was doing the right thing for his own family, not her. I mean I feel sorry for him, but I can understood why she got so upset. It's a mess, she's a mess."

"How is she today?" Spencer waved his hand to indicate that his hair needed to be undone as quickly as possible.

"She's calm enough to work and Hotch is in there speaking with her. I just wanted to give the heads up so no saying anything that might set her off."

"Thanks for letting me know and I'll be in as soon as I can." Spencer hung up and rubbed his jaw. Penelope pregnant for a married man, that was going to cause problems. Why the hell would Morgan mention the A word to someone like her? The woman loved everything cute and adorable, she would never harm an unborn child no matter how it had come about. Penelope was the type to raise a child born from rape without loving the child no less than if it had been conceived by her high school sweetheart. At the same time he understood why Morgan would feel pressured and confused with the announcement. He just started a family with a new wife, that was stressful enough. Sometimes it might be more realistic to terminate a pregnancy when neither parent really wanted it, but the blonde was never one to deal with reality that well. She would want to keep the baby, no matter how it had come about. He wouldn't take sides, it wasn't his choice. Whatever Penelope decided he would try to support her and that was all he could do. He was sure that Hotch was telling her the same. Children shouldn't be punished due to the mistakes of the parents.

"There, you are finished." Shelby tossed the last plastic band on the tray. "Your scalp may be sore for a few hours but that is normal. Also, use that face wash I gave you last night. A girl shouldn't go to sleep with her makeup on, it'll give you pimples."

"I'm not a girl and I got most of it off." It was just impossible to get all of the damn gunk off of his eyelashes. Who made that shit waterproof? The only thing left of his deception was the pierced holes in each ear. After taking them out he had studied the slightly red lobes in contemplation. For some reason he didn't want to let them close up. In high school he had debated getting his ears pierced for several years but his mother wouldn't allow it. Only druggies and boy singers put jewelry in their ears. It was done so why not keep it? "Do you think I could borrow that pair of earrings until I can get my own?"

"I'll make you a deal."

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The elevator dinged as the doors opened to his floor. Spencer stepped out, glancing at his watch. He was officially thirty minutes later than he had promised to be when he had gotten off of the phone with JJ. They wouldn't start the meeting without him and it was supposed to be a day off. They were lucky he had answered his phone after the night he had. He adjusted his shoulder bag and rounded the corner that would lead him to the conference room.

It had taken an extra fifteen minutes to agree to the bitch terms that weren't really agreeable at all. After slipping in the first pair of studs, Shelby had insisted on being allowed to give him another piercing. The freak had wanted to put something in his penis head, but that hadn't gone over well. Then his ears were up for grabs again and he had calmly explained that the BAU wouldn't really complain over a single pair as long as it wasn't gaudy. Having multiple holes wasn't going to happen on his ears. Shelby had stomped a foot and said a hole or he was going to let it slip that he liked to dress in drag to the boss. Spencer didn't know the man enough to know if he would go through with the threat and his own threat of being able to get away with murder had been laughed at like a loud fart. In the end he had opted to let the needle go near his stomach but it came with Shelby's silence.

Telling Hotch the truth might have been the better choice. Spencer smiled at the first person to notice the slight change in his appearance but didn't say anything. It was a shame that he didn't have the kind of boss that would freak out over a bit of jewelry so he'd have an excuse to talk himself out of it. He wasn't sure if the small diamond studs would really bring out his eyes. What he did know was that every time he breathed the damn bar in his stomach was moved and it was sore. His worry over being late was gone as he strolled inside the room to see only Rossi and JJ at the table. "Am I that late?"

"No, Hotch is still in a conference with her and Morgan." JJ poured herself another cup of the coffee. The poor woman had been ready to work but Morgan had shown up to speak to Hotch. The three weren't raising their voices any longer so that was a good sign. "How was your weekend?"

"Eventful, but not as exciting as everyone else's it seems." He placed his bag near his feet and leaned back to see if he could see what was happening inside the office. What he was more interested in was seeing Hotch again. He wanted to see how the man would react around him, to reassure himself that nothing was different.

Dave cocked his head to the side to inspect the kid. There was definitely something different about Reid but he wasn't sure what. Only one of them hadn't shown for the show and he had planned on giving the good doctor a hard time about not attending. The excuse JJ repeated was that Spencer had been ill. So ill he had gone out and done something extremely foolish. "What did you really do this weekend, kid?"

"Huh?" Spencer looked away from the cup being handed to him to look at the older agent. What had he done? Well, he had dressed in drag, crashed the party, and then made out with their boss. "Nothing really?"

"Really? Then care to explain your new appearance?" Dave wasn't having any of it. "First, you don't show up for the party. Then you come strolling in here with the same expression I wore when I realized I had slept with my third wife's sister and you're sporting new holes in your head. Either you've started hitting the grass or you got yourself a girlfriend."

"I don't do drugs," and he didn't have a girlfriend. Yet allowing them to believe he had skipped the party to spend the night with a girl was a wonderful idea.

"You got a girlfriend!" JJ shouted and forced the face to turn to look at her. She touched the right ear to make sure they weren't clipped on. They were pierced, both of them. What would make him do something so un-Reid-like? "Why the earrings? I like it but it seems so, so not you."

"I got them because I wanted to." What did they know about him? If they knew him then why didn't any of them suspect that he had a thing for their Unit Chief? How come none had caught onto how much he longed for the man to notice him? "My neighbor is a stylist and he offered to do them for me, so I accepted."

"Well, I like them," JJ approved. The earrings were a sign that Spencer was coming out of his shell and was trying to find himself. It was a good thing.

"Well, I don't." Dave wondered how the other two would react to the duds. Garcia would probably offer him some of those dangly ones that would go with his eyes. What would Hotch say about it? They weren't gaudy and it wasn't more than one so it wouldn't violate their dress code. Hell, the kid's hair was sometimes in direct violation of that.

"Don't what?" Aaron Hotchner needed a stiff drink as he joined the others in the conference room. Penelope would join them in a moment after washing her face and fixing her makeup. He had handled that the best he could since he couldn't threaten Morgan with being fired. The man was upset and had come to plead with him to convince Garcia that keeping the baby would be a horrible idea. It had gotten to the point where each was telling him to relay disturbing and nasty messages to the other like they weren't in the same room. It had been childish, causing him to snap at them both. He got that Morgan was afraid that it would cause his wife to leave him, but he had to back Garcia's decision. Sleeping around had been the former agent's first mistake, the second had been asking for that kind of a sacrifice. Even done under duress, it wasn't right and he was sure that soon enough the man would calm down and realize it.

With luck getting back on a case would take his mind off other things. He wasn't sure how much more he could handle on his plate. The entire Garcia/Morgan affair was beyond his control and he could only hope that the two could come to terms with the pregnancy. There was also the number Beth had thrown at him this morning. He had been shocked that she had remained the night but she had and had pounced the moment he had come down the stairs. Which had been fine with him because he had meant to ask if she knew the name of the man that he had been denied spending the night with. She had asked if his company had left already, which confused him. He knew that she was referring to the person he had been seen spending time with but why refer to him as company? Calmly he had stated that he had spent the night alone. Beth had floored him by saying 'When did your lady friend leave?' If he had been a friend of Beth's then she should have known that it was really a male dressed up. His admitting that he hadn't spent the night with another woman had been some kind of sign for her to ask if they could have dinner together. Dinner together so they could discuss their relationship. They didn't have a relationship so he had to ask about her date. What about the young man that had been at her side all evening?

That was when something strange had made him question her sanity, and his own. She laughed and claimed that the young man hadn't been her date but a friend. A friend from New York that had actually jumped at the chance to meet the infamous Dr. Reid. It had turned his stomach to hear her gush how the young man has been dying to meet his friend for over two years now but she finally convinced him to go for it. 'Go For It', that wasn't a phrase someone used when discussing a person they merely respected. It had sounded like she was trying to introduce the two for other reasons. He had shrugged and said Reid hadn't shown for the party, so there would be no match making. She had laughed the comment off and pushed for an invitation to dinner when he had some time.

Why should he concern himself with the love life of his team? Penelope was an independent woman that could handle her own affairs and it was none of his business who wanted to meet Reid. He needed to focus on his own life and what he wanted. What he wanted was to know who had spent a good portion of the evening with him. JJ hadn't known her/him, neither had Rossi, which left him without a name for now. He wasn't even sure why he felt the need to find out. Besides the fact that the guy's kiss had effected so strongly, what reason did he have?

Liking someone's eyes wasn't a reason to base a pursuit on. Nor was liking the taste of their mouth, or the little noises that he made while reaching an orgasm, and he couldn't discount how perfect the person had felt cradled beneath him. If the male hadn't fled, Hotch knew he would have gone against all logic and tried to sleep with a stranger. The problem was that the person hadn't felt like a stranger to him. For a few hours he had felt connected to another person for simply no reason at all. Maybe there was such a thing as fate and his one had managed to find him after all this time. He just wanted to know who it was so he could decide what to do.

"We were discussing the kid's new look," Dave leaned back in the chair, waiting for the moment his opinion would be seconded.

A new look? Aaron let his eyes swing to the silent doctor sitting across the table. What was new about it? It was the same Spencer that had sat there last week and the one before that. Okay, those were new. The diamonds drew his attention to the pierced ears that was very recent. The attachments made the soft face appear more feminine but it suited him. "I like it."

"Thank you," Spencer hated that the approval did things to his insides. Hotch was only saying that he didn't mind the fact that he had gotten it done.

"Just don't overdo it," the reminder was thrown out. Aaron took a seat at the table, "Don't need any more complaints towards my team."

"Okay," Spencer wouldn't do anything that would get the man fussed at by those higher up. "I promise if I get anything else pierced it'll be beneath the clothes."

JJ couldn't prevent the smile hearing the Italian start to choke on coffee. The boss had been in the process of reaching for a file but halted with mouth wide open. That had been priceless and the laughter erupted seconds before they were joined by the missing blonde.

"If someone knows something funny, please share." Penelope bustled into the room with all the bravado she could muster.

"I'm getting my nipples pierced. How are you today?" Spencer reached for his cup and gave his version of a perky smile.

"Awesome and don't get the chains, they can get stuck on your clothes, and from what I hear can be very uncomfortable. Go with the belly button, the jewelry is cuter." Penelope was glad to see that each already had their tablets on standby. "Oh my, you got your ears pierced. They look good on you, Hun."

"Don't encourage him" Dave scoffed at the cocky expression. Young people these days, "I'm almost afraid to meet this new girlfriend."

Girlfriend? Aaron waited for the denial but the only response was a shrug from the doctor. When did this happen? How long and how serious? It was odd enough that the former best friends had gotten around to fucking but now Reid had a girlfriend that had been able to convince him to alter his appearance. It was a great change but he wasn't sure if he liked that it had been done for someone else. Reid was fine how he was and didn't need to change to please anyone. "Garcia, will you begin?"

"Right," she clicked the remote to bring up the first picture. "This is Adam Weizenberg, I think I pronounced it right. He went missing three days ago and his body was found last night. The next one is James Whelks, he went missing two weeks ago, and his body was found three days later. The last two are twins, their names are Amanda and Alice James, and their bodies were found two months ago. We don't have an actual date of when they went missing because it wasn't reported."

"All from different states but all four bodies were found on the same stretch of beach." Aaron cracked his neck to get the crink out. "Each one had the distinct markings carved into their stomachs."

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"Thank you for coming by," Beth scooted closer on the bed. Things weren't going as planned but she wasn't ready to give up. The job wasn't going as well as she'd like and the offer to return to her old position was tempting. Coming back would give them another chance, which she realized she wanted.

"No problem, I still consider you a friend." Aaron would never alienate her because things hadn't worked out between them. She was a wonderful woman and he still cared about her. Else he would be feeling awful about the position they were currently in. After a few drinks, she had invited him into the room. Climbing in the bed had been like putting on an old, comfortable shoe and it had been just as exciting. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I got offered my old position back, it is mine if I want." She hoped he was as happy about it as she was. Leaving hadn't made her happy and she missed him. This time they could do things differently, "Things aren't going so well and I must admit coming back has a lot of appeal."

"You have to do what is right for you. If you think coming back is what you need then you should do it." He didn't want to be rude and pull away in case she was seeking support from a friend. A friend that she had just had sex with twice. The first night had left him confused but sated, the second had just left him disappointed.

"I want to do what is right for us," Beth put a hand on his chest. "Do you think we could make it happen?"

A few months ago he might have considered the possibility. The fingers stroking the spot around his nipple didn't stir him like it should, he found it to be tedious. What should he say? Should he go with his gut and say no? Should he turn her down in the hopes that he could find his mystery person? "I have to be honest, I don't know."

"Does your hesitation have anything to do with your company at the party?" Beth had noticed the two of them together and had asked around to the identity of the female. No one knew who she was and she was assuming that he had invited her. She wasn't the only one to notice that Aaron had acted sullen until the unknown female had arrived.

"Yes and no, even if someone else wasn't in the picture, I am still hesitant about trying again. There is also Jack to consider," He didn't want to rush into anything. "I need time to figure out what I want and I hope you understand."

"I do," She would give him time, she still had to complete her contract. By no means did the last two nights guarantee a future for them. "Want me walk you to the door, it is getting late."

"I'm sorry I can't give you an answer, it isn't fair to you." He felt bad about asking her to wait for him to decide but saying yes would be a mistake. He wasn't sure if he shouldn't just go ahead and tell her that it wasn't going to be possible. Her touch did close to nothing for him and it was further confirmed when the painted lips landed on the corner of his mouth. He slipped off of the mattress to search for his pants. Was it a sign that he had no desire to remain after sex? When had he lost the need to be close to his lover? From the disappointed look on her face, she had noticed it too. "I'll be in touch."

Not in the way she wanted though. The honest thing would be to tell her that he couldn't do it because he had enjoyed kissing a very beautiful man. One he was going to find very soon. His thoughts strayed to the person that had ran out on him as he walked away from the hotel room. For an entire hour after finding the room empty, Aaron had sat on the edge of the bed contemplating on the benefits of trying to locate the person that had made him feel like a randy teenager again. The idea of questioning the host had been dismissed because he didn't want Dave to realize that he was searching for a male. Or that he had been testing out his sexuality in the man's home.

After realizing that he did want to see him again, he had looked around in the hopes that something had been left behind. Nothing, not a stitch of clothing, or something to hint at a name, and he had almost given up. After standing he had given the room one last glance to notice what should have been obvious from the start. The Kleenex on the stand, he had no idea if it had been a new box or not, but what were the odds that his company may have cleaned up a bit before departing? Walking towards the trash he had found some. The only problem was that Rossi didn't have a maid and the can had been half filled with trash. All together he had lifted close to twenty used Kleenex from the bin. Any of them could belong to the one he sought.

He reached inside to retrieve his cell and searched for the number that he needed. The call was answered on the third ring, "Thomas, this is S.S.A. Aaron Hotchner, we met a few months ago. I need that favor you owe me. Yes, I have some samples, I'd like for you to run for me. No, it is personal and completely off the record. Thanks, I'll have it to you by morning."

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